Closure operator



Feb. 23, 1932. G. F. DRAKE 1,346,514

CLOSURE OPERATOR 1 Filed July 15. 1929. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ge /ye %;a:esi Brake ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1932. 6. Fl DRAKE CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed July 13. 1929 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE FORREST DRAKFLOF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR TO HOWARD D. COLMAN, OF ROGKFORD, ILLINOIS CLOSURE OPERATOR Application filed July 13, 1929. Serial No. 378,090.

The invention pertains to an operating mechanism for doors, gates and similar closures and one object of the invention is to provide an operator having a novel construction and arrangement of parts such that it may be mounted at one side of the opening, and when thus mounted it is capable of efiecting an advantageous application of power to the closure member to cause the latter to swing from closed to open position and vice versa.

Another object is to provide a new and improved operator of a character such that it may be actuated either by a motor driven power unit or by hand as circumstances may require.

A further object is to provide an operator of the character indicated which is simple in construction, reliable in its operation and capable of easy and convenient control.

The objects of the invention thus generally set forth are attained by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the im proved operator, a portion of the door being shown in its open position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the operator applied to a swinging door, which is shown in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a disengageable connection permitting of the operation of the door either by motive power or by hand.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary elevational view of a power unit looking from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1.

In the present embodiment the operator is shown as applied to a door 7 hinged at 8 so as to be swingable from closed to open position and vice versa, the open position being shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. The operator, generally designated by the numeral 9, is shown mounted on a wall 10 at one side of the door opening.

The. operator 9 comprises a supporting bracket or frame having a base plate 11 adapted to be bolted to the side wall 10; and projecting forwardly from the plate 11 1s a bracket member 12 providing an elongatedv bearing 13 in which is mounted a shaft or spindle 14. The upper end of the spindle 14 projects above the bearing 13 and has suitably secured thereto a crank arm 15 pivotally connected by a lengthwise adjustable link 17 and bracket plate 18 to the door 7. Secured to the lower end of the spindle 14 is a plate or disk 19 which when rotated in one direction or the other will impart open-.

ing or closing movements to the door 7 through the crank 15 and link 17.

It is contemplated that the disk 19 will normally be actuated by motive power which in the present instance is provided by a unitary or self-contained power unit generally designated by the numeral 20 (Fig. 1) and to this end the disk 19 is in a normal driving relation to a worm wheel 21 interposed between said disk 19 and the bearing 13. The worm wheel 21 fits loosely; on the spindle 14 but is normally non-rotatable relative thereto by reason of a connection provided by a pin 22. The latter is carried by the disk 19 and is seated in a hole or socket 23 formed in the worm wheel and offset a substantial distance from its center. Meshing with this worm wheel 21 is worm 24 fast on the end of a shaft 25 which is suitably journaled in the supporting frame. On the opposite end of this shaft is a driving element in'the form of a sprocket 26.

The power unit 20 may be of any suitable character, that herein shown being of the type illustrated and described in my copending application Serial No. 200,857, filed June 23, 1927. Briefly it comprises a base frame 27 which in the present instance is bolted to the side wall 10 in spaced relation thereto and below the operator 9, as shown in Fig. 1. An electric motor 28 mounted on the frame 27 provides the motive power which is transmitted through suitable operative connections to a driving sprocket 29. The latter is shown as connected to the sprocket 26 by means of an endless chain 30. The power unit also includes a suitable motor control mechanism adapted to define successive door opening and closing cycles of uniform length, and may be equipped with means generally designated 30 for effecting the automatic reclosing of "carrying a handle 40 at its lower end.

the door, all as set forth in said copending application.

The operation of the power unit is initiated by closing a circuit (not shown) to an electromagnet 31, the latter in turn serving to trip a lever 32 to close a main motor switch 33, this latter switch being opened automatically in the operation of the unit at the end of each operating cycle. A suitable reversing switch mechanism 34: is provided to determine the direction of operation.

In order that the door may be operated by hand I provide means for disengaging the actuating disk 19 from the worm wheel .21, and I utilize the same means for rotating the disk 19 by hand. Thus I provide a curved arm 35 pivoted at one end on a pin 36 supported in suitable lugs 37 at one side of the disk. The other end of the arm is pivotally connected as at 38 to the pin 22 which is slidable into and out of engagement with its socket 23. Substantially centrally of the arm is secured the upper end of a rod 39 A spring 41 has one end anchored to one of the lugs 37 and its other end bearing against the arm 35 in a direction such as to urge the pin 22 toward the worm wheel 21, thus serving to hold the pin in engagement with the hole 23 of the wheel.

It will be apparent that when desired the door may be opened by hand, by pulling downwardly on the handle 10 and then imparting a twisting movement to the handle through slightly more than one hundred and eighty degrees, the door being opened or closed depending on the direction of the twisting movement. Upon restoring the door to its initial position the pin 22 will automatically re-engage with its socket, the downward pull on the handle 41-0 being naturally relieved after the initial disengagement. Downward movement of the arm 35 is limited by a stop lug 42 engaging with a boss 43 on the disk 19. This limits the extent of movement of the arm to the withdrawal of the pin 22 from the worm wheel 21 in the operation of rotating the shaft 14 manually.

lVith the construction and arrangement provided, the operator may be conveniently located at one side of the door or gate opening,with the power unit in vertically disposed relation. This is especally advantageous in the case of factory doors, outdoor gates and the like where an overhead mounting is impractical. Also, it will be noted that by spacing the operating shaft or spindle away from the supporting wall or other upright support the power may be applied to the door advantageously through a simple crank arm and link connection. In the closed position of the door, the crank arm and link swing into dead center relation so as to hold the closure securely in closed position; and the worm gear drive serves to prevent rotation of the shaft both in open and closed positions of the door, and this regardless of the character of the power used.

I claim as my invention:

1. A closure operator comprising a. stationary supporting frame, a shaft journaled in said frame and adapted for operative con nection with the closure, a part rigid with said shaft and operable to rotate the shaft so as to move the closure, means for operating said part manually, a power operator, and means normally providing a connection between said part and said power operator.

2. A closure operator comprising an operating spindle, a crank arm on said spindle adapted for operative connection with the closure, a hand operable member secured to said spindle, a gear element loose on said spindle but normally rigid with said hand operator, and power means for driving said gear element.

3. A closure operator comprising an operating spindle, means operatively connecting said spindle to a closure to be operated, a gear element loose on said spindle, power means for driving said gear element, a member fast on said spindle, and manually operable means providing a connection between said member and said gear element and operable to disengage said connection and to rotate said spindle independently of the gear element.

4. A closure operator comprising, in combination, a spindle adapted for operative connection with a closure to be operated, two elements one having a manual operator and the other adapted to be operated from a source of motive power, one of said elements being secured to said spindle, and means for disengageably connecting said two elements.

5. A closure operator comprising a frame, a shaft ournaled in said frame, means rigid with the shaft and adapted for connection with the closure to be operated, a gear ele ment loose on the shaft, a plate rigid with the shaft and having an arm pivoted thereto, a pin carried by said arm and adapted to engage in alined openings in the plate and gear element, and power means for operat ing said gear element, said arm being manually operable to disengage said pin from the gear element and to rotate the plate independently of the gear element.

6. A closure operator comprising a shaft adapted for operative connection with a closure, a member. rigid with the shaft, a juxtaposed member loose on the shaft, an arm pivoted on the rigid member, means normally providing a connection between said members, said means being operatively associated with said arm so as to be movable thereby to effect the disengagement of the two members, a handle rigid with said arm, and means for operating the shaft through said loose member when the two members are connected.

7. A closure operator comprising a shaft adapted for operative connection with a closure, a gear element loose on the shaft, 2. plate rigid with the shaft adjacent said gear element, an arm pivoted on said plate on an axis disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said shaft, a pin on the free end of said arm, said gear element and plate having in a certain relative position alined openings adapted to receive said pin, and spring means tending to hold said pin in said openings, said arm being manually operable in a direction to disengage the pimfrom the gear element and also in a direction to rotate the shaft when the pin is disengaged.

8. A closure operator comprising a closure operating member, a second member adapted for connection with a source of motive power,

and a manual operator for the closure including a device permanently mounted on the closure operating member so as to be movable therewith and providing a connection between said members, said device being also movable relative to the closure operating member in a direction to disengage said member at will from the power operated member. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

GEORGE FORREST DRAKE. 

